| UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
JAMES E. ROGERS COLLEGE OF LAW |
DECEMBER 17, 2025 | | | |
Greetings,
This week we feature Arizona Law alumni serving as judges at state and federal courts in San Diego. As part of the vibrant contingent of alumni in California, these judges join a legacy of trailblazers on the bench.
| | LawCat Alumni Hold Strong Presence on the San Diego Bench | | Judges Thompson-Taylor, Pro and McCoy | | |
University of Arizona College of Law alumni are making their mark in California’s judiciary, particularly in San Diego, where an impressive number of graduates now serve on the bench. From the trial courts to the appellate level, their leadership reflects the strength of the Arizona Law community and the far-reaching influence of our alumni across the country.
In the past several years, Judges Lilys McCoy (’91), John Pro (’01) and Sherry Thompson-Taylor (’95) were appointed to the San Diego Superior Court Bench, expanding the strong contingent of Arizona Law alumni in the region. They serve alongside Judges Joan Weber (’80) and William Wood (’88), both longstanding members of the San Diego judiciary.
Arizona Law’s legacy in the San Diego judiciary also includes trailblazing judges such as Judge Irma Gonzalez (’73) and Judge Janet Kintner (’68). In 1992, Judge Gonzalez became the first female Mexican American U.S. District Court Judge in the nation and served as Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Appointed by the governor in 1968, Judge Kintner was the third woman in San Diego history to be appointed to the bench, the youngest judge in California at the time and the first pregnant woman appointed to a California judgeship.
These judges and justices are among nearly 900 University of Arizona College of Law alumni living in California, a network that includes leaders across the legal profession, public service and business. Their presence on the San Diego bench highlights the broad impact of Arizona Law graduates and the school’s continued connection to the state’s legal community.
See the full story to learn more about the LawCats currently on the bench in San Diego.
| | Hire LawCats in 2026: Registration Deadlines Approach for Interview Programs | | |
The Career Development Office is preparing for the spring recruiting season. Employers including firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies and nonprofit organizations are invited to participate in interview programs happening in the 2026 spring semester:
Winter Private Sector Interview Program
Employer registration deadline: Jan. 6
In-person interviews: Jan. 22
Virtual interviews: Jan. 23
Law firms and legal departments are invited to interview for positions such as summer associate and law clerk positions for 2026 and 2027 and post-graduate positions to begin in fall 2026.
Sonoran Public Sector Interview Program
Employer registration deadline: Jan. 15
In-person interviews: Feb. 12
Virtual interviews: Feb. 13
Government, public interest and nonprofit organizations are welcome to interview for positions including summer 2026 positions, post-graduate positions to begin in fall 2026 and for-credit externships for fall 2026. Employers also can register for midday table talks with JD, LLM and MLS students.
2026 Law Grads Interview Program
Employer registration deadline: Feb. 26
In-person interviews: Mar. 26
Virtual interviews: Mar. 27
All employers are invited to interview 3Ls, recent alumni and LLM students for post-graduate positions, including some candidates who will have sat for the February 2026 bar exam.
Don’t miss these opportunities to connect with our talented students and recent graduates at no cost to employers. Contact law-careers@arizona.edu with any questions.
| | Arizona Law Professors Visit Mexican Foreign Service Academy, Educate Candidates on U.S. Law | | In November, professors from Arizona Law traveled to Mexico to deliver an intensive workshop on U.S. law to foreign service candidates. The workshop, taught by Associate Clinical Professor of Law Sylvia Lett, Associate Professor of Law Shefali Milczarek-Desai and Professor of Practice Ami Hutchinson, was part of the mandatory curriculum at Instituto Matías Romero, Mexico’s diplomatic academy. | | |
Over the course of three days, the professors presented an introduction to U.S. legal systems, as well as courses on criminal law and procedure, labor and employment, and immigration law to around a hundred foreign service trainees. The workshop was an extension of the Arizona Law Foreign Diplomat Training Program, which provides asynchronous certificate programs to diplomats-in-training from Mexico and other countries.
The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs contracts the Foreign Diplomat Training Program to teach required courses on U.S. law to foreign service candidates.
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With more than fifty consulates and embassies operating in the U.S., Mexico is the largest foreign service operating in a host country. The program’s training plays a crucial role in helping diplomats and diplomatic staff gain a foundation in U.S. law to better advise their citizens living, traveling and conducting business in the United States. It was established in 2018, after Arizona Law was chosen from among a number of respected institutions to provide classes to Mexican diplomatic corps.
“A significant portion of the graduates of the Instituto Matías Romero will be stationed in the U.S. shortly after graduation,” notes Program Director, Senior Director of Student Resources, and Professor of Practice Chris Gast, who organized the visit. “They will be able to use information from this workshop almost immediately. Arizona Law is proud to be a trusted partner of the government of Mexico while showcasing the incredible knowledge base within the College of Law faculty.”
| | Empowering the Next Generation of Indigenous Lawyers: The Huerta Scholarship Legacy | | |
Thanks again to all Giving Tuesday supporters! Your donation makes a difference in the lives of Indigenous students at the University of Arizona College of Law.
Thus far we have 29 donations totaling $13,379 raised. We are well on our way to our $52,500 campaign goal, and there is still time to double your impact with a new matching gift challenge.
To commemorate more than ten years of the Huerta Scholarship’s impact, the Melody S. Robidoux Foundation Fund has created a matching gift challenge. Donations will be doubled now through December 31, up to $7,000 total.
The Huerta Scholarship provides vital support to Indigenous law students attending Arizona Law. Please support the next generation of Indigenous lawyers like Tessa Hanson-Vargas by donating to the Huerta Scholarship.
| | Support University of Arizona Law with Year-end Giving | | |
The University of Arizona will be closed campus-wide starting Wednesday, December 24 through Friday, January 2, and will reopen on Monday, January 5, 2026.
If you would like to make a year-end philanthropic contribution, here are some tips to ensure your gift is counted in 2025. These are meant to serve as a helpful guide—this isn’t legal advice, and individual situations may vary.
Gifts by check: Checks should be made payable to the Law College Association and mailed to:
The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
Attn: Alumni & Development Office
PO Box 210176
Tucson, AZ 85721
Checks will be processed and receipted according to the postmark date on the envelope. Please allow extra time for USPS delays. To receive a charitable gift deduction in 2025, your envelope must be postmarked by December 31, 2025.
Gifts by credit card: Credit card gifts will be receipted on the date the charge posts to your credit card account. This means to receive a 2025 charitable gift deduction, the charges must be made with sufficient time before December 31, 2025, to allow the donation to post by December 31, 2025. You can make a gift securely at either https://givetoarizonalaw.org/ or https://give.uafoundation.org/law.
Gifts of stock: Stock gifts will be processed and receipted on the date the stocks are transferred into our account. To receive a 2025 charitable gift deduction, stock gifts must be received in the LCA’s brokerage account by December 29, 2025. If you are planning a stock gift, please call 520-626-9223 by December 19 so that we can prepare for your gift.
To make a gift by wire transfer, qualified charitable distribution from an IRA, through your estate plan or by another method, please contact Director of Alumni & Development Shannon Walker at 520-626-9223 or sawalker@arizona.edu.
| | Guest Lecture by Prof. Kringle | | |
For the second consecutive year, students in the Child & Family Law Clinic and the Family & Juvenile Law Association raised money and gift donations for local youth.
Professor Chris Griffin challenged the students to raise $1,800 with a promise to teach his last class of the semester dressed as Santa if they did. They rose to the occasion, donating $2,140.
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Do You Have News?
Your success is the college’s success and we want to celebrate with you! If you have landed a new job, received an award or recognition, stepped into a leadership role or have good news in general, let us know.
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The influence of Arizona Law reaches across state and national boundaries, as illustrated by today’s stories about judges serving in California and faculty training diplomats in Mexico.
Thank you sincerely for helping to build the next generation through hiring LawCats and supporting initiatives like the Huerta Scholars Program.
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